I’m back! Okay so I know these posts are annoyingly long. I will try my 100% best to keep it short, to the point, and only share highlights. Don’t yell at me if I’m wrong, I tend to fail a lot in life.
**Outdated. This was all written a week ago:
Classes= I have 4. Two with all Argentines and two with people from all over the world, yet still taught in Spanish. The whole University system feels completely different to me. It’s like a different world. The whole grade is based off of a midterm and a final. So much pressure! ONLY ONE MORE WEEK OF CLASSES!!!! And then 2 Finals for my classes with Argentines on random days in July, so that we have a month to study for them.
Life = 100% super busy. Each day. I’m definitely making the best of each day of my 6 months here, although it’s hard to keep track of what I do…
For example one day:
Class
Rented a bicycle to ride in the ecological reserve. THERE WERE FIELDS! Beautiful. I felt a little at home.
Then, I went to another museum by myself. Yes, I am an old retired woman.
Went to the huge cathedral by Plaza de Mayo.
Saw a Socialist Demonstration in Plaza De Mayo. Loud drums and yelling and flags…
Spent the evening talking politics with Siliva (host mom) which is always super interesting. I’m learning more about politics, economics, and the history of both South America and Europe more than I could have ever guessed.
I’ve been doing a lot of things with the groups of Jovenes (young people) at San Benito (the Catholic Church that I attend).
COTTOLENGO!!! I took the train to Tigre to volunteer at Cottolengo, which is a place for women to live who have different disabilities and can’t live on their own. It is a house run by nuns. Oh my gosh- I can’t even describe!!! It was marvelous. You walk in the door and these women don’t even know your name, but after 3 seconds they just embrace you and cling to you as if you’re their best friend without letting go. We just hung out: danced, sang songs, games, hoola hooped… I felt like I was right back at Camp Huntington in New York where I belong! I was LOVING it. Even though I felt a little stupid because of the language barrier and a little bummed I couldn’t sing the songs because I didn’t know the words, I tried to teach everyone the Chicken Dance because it’s the only song with motions that I know where it’s not necessary to know English. I am so grateful for the opportunity to have gone there! Then, we prayed in the chapel and left to sit in the sunshine and have a picnic by the river. I want to go back and am bummed that I won’t be here this weekend to go again. Because………………..!!!!!!!!!!!!
UN TECHO PARA MI PAIS!!!!!!! [A roof for my country]. This is an organization that I found that builds homes for barrios living in poverty. I only heard about it from people on the street outside my Universtiy passing out flyers on the sidewalk. I’ve been going every Saturday this month. This was a “holy cow” type of experience. ! Typing an explanation here won’t even begin to do justice. I don’t even mind now getting up at 6:30 every Saturday to go, now that I’ve seen the conditions in which some families live. What an incredible experience!
I was super nervous beforehand that first week. I was afraid they’d say, “Your Spanish sucks, you can’t help anyways, so why are you here?” I awkwardly approached the group that met by the bus stop, then jumped on a bus with them and we went! - almost an hour on the expressway, outside of the city of Buenos Aires.
I thought it’d be similar to Habitat for Humanity – boy was I mistaken!!! The houses that the organization builds are let’s just say quite simple. One rectangular room, all wood, elevated on 15 stubs with metal sheet roofs. The homes are not much bigger than my bedroom. I have seen families with 13 people (11 kids) living inside. And they are so grateful for their new home.
“Detection” is what I’ve been doing so far, where we split into groups of 2 or 3 and walk around to interview families – more or less to talk with them. Two things: 1) talk with different families to evaluate their necessity of a home and if they qualify (their economic situation, health, etc). Some need assistance more than others. 2) We talk with families that already have a home constructed by the organization to see if there are problems with it (rain coming in for example is pretty common. Another house was almost split in two). I’m already starting to see some of the same families week after week, going back. 3) Also, to collect money. The family pays for 10% of the house so that they are not gifts, but rather the family can say that it is theirs and they worked for it.
This is a great thing for me. I was terrified the first week, but am so glad I went. I feel stupid at times (with my language) but I just tell myself I don’t care if they judge me because I’m leaving next month anyways. My majors are Spanish and Social Work. This experience is quite ideal I would say and I’m learning loads – leaving the city and seeing other barrios and other lifestyles. These are neigborhoods in the country with many families with practically nothing.
I signed up to go for a full Friday – Monday night CONSTRUCTION WEEKEND. I don’t know anybody. I have no idea what barrio I’ll be in or where I’m sleeping or eating. But I’m going! I’m just going to study construction vocab before I go [like hammer, saw, board, duck!]. I just picture, “oh Karen, hold that board or else the house will fall down on the children” and I’ll be like “huh? Que? No entiendo!” And then I’ll ruin everything and they’ll make me go home, no big deal. I leave in an hour. WISH ME LUCK! J
One night I went to the birthday party at the apartment of a friend from San Benito that I met here. A lot of dancing and a lot of fun! Very different than parties in the U.S! The dancing for one is a lot more fun here, in my opinion. There were some crazy jumping and yelling parts that I was a bit lost at, but it was a really really fun night.
HIPODROMO en San Isidro!!!!!!!!!!!!! This is where they race horses.
- There was folklore dancing outside by young kids what was super impressive! I was submersed into so many cultural things this day! Then, I finally ate MEXICAN FOOD! A meat taco and taco chips and guacamole!!!!!!! First time in 5 months. [Argentina’s food is quite opposite of Mexican food. Never spicy]. And sat on a hay bale. I like hay. HORSE RACING! It was the first horse race I had ever been. I felt like I was in the movie Pretty Woman.
- Inside the building, the environment was like a different world. Everyone was sitting around in front of the screens, drinking, making bets... chaotic, crazy, and a ton of fun!
· On the dirt track outside, there was a show with folkoric traditional dancing, tango dancers, milegna dancers, and gaucho dancers. The best was the gauchos that did ridiculously crazy tricks on horses! Seriously, it was awesome. As a horse was running, a man would jump from one side of the horse to the other, without sitting on top at all! Can’t describe. Awesome.
Went back to San Telmo, the street fair with the hundreds of sellers of their hand-made artsy stuff. Many souvenigers and gifts!
I go to the gym. I take a dance class with old ladies and the man that yells “Foxy! Sexy!” We get our groove on.
Saturdays after Un Techo Para Mi Pais I try to go to the Jovenes en Accion group at the church.
One random day after mass, for the priest’s birthday there was a celebration/event downstairs for him. Downstairs there was a whole scene set up when we walked in with leaves and old fashioned stuff and a back drop of an old store. It was a play! About 10 adults from the church put on a play wearing gaucho clothes, and did folklore dancing! I never know what’s going on in my life. I just show up to things…
I’ve decided I want to be an actor on the subway.
My mood a lot of times depends on my Spanish. Some days, I feel like I understand almost everything, and I’m on top of the world. Then I buy alfajores to celebrate J Other days I feel almost embarrassed to say that I’ve been here 5 months already, and still can’t talk.
HILLSONG CONCERT!!!! J & Lily Goodman. I hadn’t even heard of her until that night, but incredible voice!!! Look her up. Three hours of all in Spanish. I LOVED it. Hillsong is from Australia and they sing in English, but you couldn’t even hear them singing because the thousands of people in the crowd that knew the versions to every song in Castellano and overpowered the band!!! The two languages at the same time was incredibly powerful! I understood every word of both languages, and could sing changing languages every 2 words! Then we took a taxi home.
(This night was after a few hours of sleep, out of the house from 7:30am till 3:30 am. My days are becoming longer and longer and I sleep less and less, trying to cram in everything that I can before I have to leave!…)
Another day: Thursday.
woke up at 7 to take subway to Catedral. Picked up fingerprints for Megan's visa. Went to theatre colon so I could buy a ticket for a tour next Monday. Ate café con leche y 2 medialunas. Homework and subte back to class. Left for SALSA CLASS! with Megan. [Here’s where the day starts to get exciting.....]
Walking 7 blocks from my house, there on the sidewalk stands RICKY MARTIN. No big deal. I touched his hair. Some days I reeeally wish I had a camera! But nope. Cuz robbers are super. When I reached my hand out to touch his hair, a girl looked at me like I was a freak and/or rude. Eh? Perhaps I’m both J But: can YOU say you touched the hair of Ricky Martin on the sidewalk a few blocks from your house while walking to Salsa Dance Lessons? That’s what I thought. Haha It something that I’m safe to say doesn’t happen every day in North Dorr or Mt. Pleasant. And yes. His hair was connected to his body.
Salsa dancing: Love it. Always. I went to a new place. Less creepy men here.
At midnight went to dinner, veggie milanesa and liquado.
Then 2 different bars! Oh what a night!
That’s an example of a Thursday. Megan and I tend to be together from 7 am until 3 am (almost fact.). Sleep is not a necessity.
Vigil of the Pentecost: This was a service waaayyy more fun than I had been expecting. After a chat, music, video, the eating of alfajores, a drama, and a thing with candles to show how love spreads, there was a giant bonfire outside on the patio where a palm tree was burnt. Everyone started running around in circles singing and yelling and running into each other. It was almost a bit terrifying – funny and scary. I had no idea what was going on. Welcome to my life. Then, we sang little kids camp songs. When it ended at 1:00 a.m., a group of 30 of us went to Burger King for dinner (because they seriously eat dinner a million hours after they should). On the way to Burger King, we walked down the street singing and dancing with tambourines. When we got there, everyone was chanting something and singing Happy Birthday, even though it was no one’s Birthday? I thought we would get kicked out for being too obnoxious, but really everyone else just joined in. What an energy! I am so thankful to have met these friends here.
Funny Story: So of course the church is literally 3 blocks from my house and took me over 50 minutes to get there because I am stupid and even though I’ve lived here 5 months already, I apparently forgot how to use my Guia-T (book of maps and bus routes). It is 3 blocks from my apartment and I got lost. I wandered around the streets for over 50 mintues in the opposite direction in the dark and asking random people for directions. Trying to wear heels was a bad idea.
Guided tour at Teatro Colon. What a beautiful theatre! It has the 5th best acoustics in the world. Then, the following night I went to see an orchestra /opera show there. Superb! Our cheap tickets were standing on the very top- 7th floor. However while standing and looking down and seeing all the gold and red, I remember thinking, “this is another one of those moments I want to remember!’ I would love that view from my bedroom. Not as good as nature, but still impressive.
One night I sat watching like 10 “Pure Michigan” Youtube videos. A little pathetically nostalgic, I know.
I’m really gonna miss my dog here. She climbs up on my bed with me J She’s pretty much on drugs when it rains. She won’t leave the bathtub.
My life I do many things very differently than 5 months ago:
I’ve learned that “on time” means show up 45 minutes late. It’s okay for professors to use cell phones in class. I’m now numb to little kids asking me for money. I’ve learned how to cross streets. I’m no longer weirded out by people setting socks on my lap on the subway. I am safe to say that my touristy feeling wore off a long time ago. English is getting harder and harder to speak. I would mess up phrases and mix words even before I came here. Now, both languages are a nightmare. I can finally talk with my host mom without stumbling through every sentence! I’ve learned a little how to cook. I’ve learned to dance salsa. Not such a fan of tango. Now I’m planning a trip to Salta and then Iguazu Falls ( the huge waterfall where Argentina, Brazil, and Paraguay touch)! Right now I can’t find anyone who wants to go to Iguazu with me so I think I might go solo. Looking into hostels and bus tickets. Three full days on a bus should be superb! Can’t wait!!! I leave this Friday.
